Thursday, December 20, 2012

Snowpocalypse Now

Yes, we are getting our first major winter storm of the season. I actually heard someone refer to it on the radio as a Snowpocalypse. I thought they were being slightly over dramatic, but I decided to stay home anyway. The road I travel to get to my office is rural, curvy, and especially dangerous in blizzard-like conditions. I did, however, get Clare up, dressed and off to daycare this morning so I could do some work from home. She was one of two children in the entire center. (Normally there are 100 kids or more there.) I started to question my judgment - why did only one other parent bring her child in? And now, sitting here, watching the snow fall outside, I am questioning it even more. Well, I am going to pick her up in an hour. How bad can it get between now and then?

Answer: A lot worse. (Bet you didn't see that coming!) I drove the two miles home at about 10 miles per hour, hands gripping the wheel, knuckles white, Christmas music blasting to try to drown out Clare's screams coming from the backseat. (She DID NOT want to leave daycare when I came to pick her up. She was deeply unhappy about the situation.) I didn't stop at a single stop sign, because I was convinced that if I did I would not be able to get going again. We made it, but I am still trying to unclench my teeth.

Now, staring out the window, all I see is white. The power has flickered on and off a few times, making me nervous. But Clare is napping now, and even though I have piles of laundry to take care of and Christmas presents to wrap, I think I'll take advantage of this bonus day off to lay on the couch and watch reruns of Friends.

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas (assuming the world doesn't end tomorrow, that is) and a Happy New Year!

Clare feeding Big Bird some of her Advent calendar chocolate. She already offered some to the Cookie Monster magnet behind her.

I'm so glad you were able to make it home without sliding into a ditch or getting stuck in a snowbank. It's one thing when you only have to worry about yourself in those white-knuckled, driving-5-mph, hoping-and-praying you'll make it to your destination situations; another entirely when you have a little one (or two) in the backseat. And then you get those idiot drivers who fly past you (when you're trying to be so cautious and careful) and THEY hit a patch of ice and then YOU have to worry about hitting them because they don't know how to drive in winter.(Ok. Vent over.)

I hope you don't encounter any of those conditions next week. I'm so looking forward to seeing you, Clare, Ben, A, and Katie!! xo